The Divine Word College (DWC) of Calapan has issued a rare official statement on Saturday condemning corruption in the Philippines’ flood control projects, as the nation is plagued with what officials estimate to be hundreds of billions of pesos in misappropriated funds.

The Catholic educational institution in Oriental Mindoro province called corruption a “persistent injustice” that “devastates communities, widens inequality, and undermines the very purpose of education.”

“Corruption is not merely political; it is a moral failure that robs people of opportunity, destroys trust, and endangers the future we strive to build,” the college said in its official declaration titled “Corruption Destroys What Education Builds.”

The statement comes as the nation faces one of its largest infrastructure corruption scandals in recent years.

The college specifically referenced the situation in Oriental Mindoro, saying: “When funds for flood control and infrastructure are misused, projects are left unfinished or poorly executed. Roads become impassable, classes are suspended, families are burdened, and education—our society’s greatest hope—is disrupted.”

The Divine Word College of Calapan cited education’s role in combating systemic corruption, declaring that educators must form students who “not only gain knowledge but also the courage to confront dishonesty and the wisdom to choose what is right.”

The institution concluded with the assertion: “Corruption weakens a nation. Education strengthens it.”

DWC- Calapan’s statement is released a day before the anticipated September 21, 2025 nationwide protest against massive corruption in the government under President Bongbong Marcos Jr.

photo courtesy of DWC-Calapan FB page (for illustration purposes only)